Tag: calls for solidarity

We are coming back with global week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners. Since last year, a lot has changed in our countries, but the general tendency is going in the worse direction with more repressions applied against anarchists not only in Europe but worldwide. With this in mind, we are calling for sixth annual week of solidarity!

Last year lots of people sent us their reports from different parts of the world and we hope that this year the tradition will grow even bigger. We need to support our comrades! Use this week to spread the information about anarchists behind bars. Don’t have prisoners in your country? No worry, support prisoners from other countries in your region or use those days to raise awareness of repression mechanisms and how anarchist communities can fight against them!

Build up security culture, support your local anarchist prisoners and fight back.

Do not hesitate to continue sending your reports to tillallarefree@riseup.net!

Since the last July 25th International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners, the worldwide struggle against the nightmare of fascism and the far-right has grown and intensified. The news bulletins steadily report the racist and bigoted attacks, the harassment of journalists, the demonization of refugees and migrants, and the increasing presence and violence of organized fascist and far-right groups. While the bigoted, nationalist imagination reproduces itself on a global scale, it also attempts to turn us all into prisoners of the border.

Originating in 2014 as a Day of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman—an Australian man serving a 20-year sentence in Bulgaria for defending two Romani men from an attack by fascist football hooligans—the International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners aims to break down the borders and build an international response against fascism. By having an event, raising money, or dedicating an action to these comrades, we can simultaneously strengthen our local movements by ensuring that those who have acted to protect our communities against the fascist threat are never forgotten, as well as create the links of a powerful international solidarity which can transcend both the prison and the border wall.

This July 25th, we call on antifascists worldwide to act in solidarity with antifascist prisoners—the comrades who have been behind bars for many years, the friends who have just begun their sentences, the mates still awaiting trial—because they are in there for us, and so we must be out here for them!

No Pasaran!
Until All Are Free!

USE THE HASHTAG: #J25antifa

««««««Global List of Antifascist Prisoners»»»»»»

Below is a list of global antifascist prisoners who are currently imprisoned. Hundreds more have been arrested but have not been convicted; we encourage local groups to support the antifascists of their choosing who are in legal trouble. If you are not donating to a specific person, a good option is to support the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund.

Please contact us: if you know an antifa prisoner who is missing form the list (include their details, and what languages they can read); if you can help translate the call; or if you are planning an event that, so that we can help publicize it: nycantifa@riseup.net.

EUROPE

BelarusRoman Bogdan

Roman Bogdan was arrested on April 15, 2015, as part of the long-going state repression of anti-fascists in Brest, stemming from a fight between anti-fascists and fascists on May 8, 2013. In October, Roman was sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony and must pay 3500 Euro in damages. On December 15, 2015 a regional appellate court commuted his sentence by 2 years.

Vadim Boyko was arrested on March 22, 2016, on suspicion of participating in a fight that took place on June 29, 2014 between anti-fascist supporters of FC Partyzan and right-wing soccer hooligans from FC Torpedo. The arrests in 2014 were not followed up until 2016, when a special political department decided to start the case with a series of police raids on the antifascists who were alleged to have been involved. On March 10, 2017 Vadim Boyko was sentenced to 4 years of jail, and was re-arrested in July for transfer to a penal colony.

Vlad Lenko is an antifascist from Ivatsevichi (Brest region). He was arrested on December 27, 2014, and accused of taking part in a fight against local neo-Nazis earlier in December. Vlad was charged with group hooliganism and aggravated bodily harm, and in September 2015 was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.

Jock Palfreeman is an Australian anti-fascist political prisoner serving a twenty-year prison sentence in Bulgaria for the rather mysterious death of a neo-Nazi football hooligan who was part of a group attacking two Romani men in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2007. Jock came to the aid of the Romani, and quickly found himself the focus of the attack. Bulgarian authorities did everything they could to ensure that Jock did not receive a fair trial, and after his sentencing have refused–in contravention of their own treaties–to transfer him to Australia to serve the rest of his time closer to his family. Jock wants donations for him sent to the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Association, which he is part of.

Patryk is a Polish antifascist recently deported from the UK to Poland to serve a 3-year sentence handed down to him 13 years ago. He was charged with allegedly beating up and robbing a few local fascists. Patryk is only allowed 2 visits per month and one 5-minute telephone conversation a week, and really enjoys receiving letters. There is no limit to the number of letters he can receive.

Aleksandr Kolchenko was arrested in Crimea on May 17, 2014, along with several others, and accused by Russian authorities of participation in a “terrorist group” which planned explosions near the Eternal Fire memorial and the Lenin monument in Simferopol, as well as having sabotaged railway tracks and electricity lines. Aleksandr was also alleged to have carried out two arson attacks in April: against the headquarters of the Russian Unity-Party, and the Russian Community of Crimea. He was transferred to Moscow and kept in draconian conditions. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Russian authorities claimed that Aleksandr was a member of Right Sektor, a Ukrainian ultra-right nationalist organization, but he has no connection to the group—a fact confirmed by relatives and friends. Moreover, Aleksandr is an antifascist and anarchist who consistently opposed nationalistic movements in Crimea and faced constant fascist attacks for his activism. For example, after a film screening about murdered anti-fascist journalist Anastasiya Baburova, he was attacked by thirty Nazis with knives.

Russian Torture Cases
There has been heavy repression of anarchists and antifascists by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). In October 2017, FSB officers arrested six antifascists who played airsoft in the woods. The FSB planted weapons and explosives in some of their vehicles, and tortured them in pre-trial detention–beating them, hanging them upside down, electrocuting them, and threatening them with even worse. This torture was used to force the arrestees to validate forged testimony professing that they are part of an alleged terrorist “network.” At the end of January 2018, two more antifascists were arrested in St. Petersburg. They were also beaten, tortured by means of electrical shock, and forced to agree that they too were members of this invented “network.”

As of now, seven anti-fascists are behind bars and another is under house arrest. All are facing up to a decade in prison. We encourage you to read more about the case in the links below. We have included addresses for those who have them listed.

Rodrigo Lanza is an antifascist from Chile who is living in Zaragoza, Spain. In December of 2017, Rodrigo was out with friends at a bar when they were approached by a man who began insulting Rodrigo, calling him “sudaka” (a derogatory term for Latin Americans) and telling him to go back to his country. As Rodrigo attempted to leave the bar, Victor Lainez, a member of the fascist Falange group with many friends in the local fascist scene, pulled a knife. Rodrigo defended himself and in the ensuing fight, Lainez was killed.

Occurring during the movement for Catalan independence and the accompanying resurgence of hardcore Spanish nationalism, the press worked overtime to vilify Rodrigo as a ‘foreigner,’ squatter, and former political prisoner. They claimed that Lainez was attacked at random for wearing Spanish flag suspenders, and built a bogus narrative of an innocent Spanish citizen murdered simply for showing support for his country.

Rodrigo is currently in prison awaiting trial and faces a lengthy prison sentence as well as expulsion from Spain.

We are currently trying to determine if Rodrigo would like to receive letters.

The international solidarity action week on February 7-12 exposed wide reaction of the anarchist movement worldwide to these repressions and made considerable media effect in Russia. But it seems to be not enough to overcome the situation. Very soon, it became known that some of arrested anarchists were tortured and intimidated again. The FSB officers demanded that they stop participating in the campaign of resistance against tortures and repressions. Moreover, after solidarity actions took place in Russia, the police launched repressions against those who took these actions. Our comrades were prosecuted in Moscow and Chelyabinsk. Anarchists in Chelyabinsk were again tortured with electricity by the police, while being accused of “hooliganism” (!). Simultaneously with the arrests in Saint-Petersburg, FSB raids and arrests against anarchists were made in the Crimea.

It is necessary to continue and strengthen the campaign of solidarity to force Russian authorities to end tortures and political repressions. The best day for new actions is March 18: the day of presidential elections in Russia. In this day, the ruling regime is the most vulnerable and the eyes of the world will be turned to the situation in our country.

We urgently and desperately call to all anarchist, leftist, antifascist and democratic groups and communities all over the world to organize actions of protest and resistance of any kind against tortures and repressions in Russia: by the embassies, consulates and other official offices of Russian Federation in your countries.

Worldwide the forces of repression are cracking down on anarchists. In the summer of 2017 a few activists discussed the idea of creating an International Anarchist Defence Fund (A-Fund) and today it’s finally in action.

Our collective support structure provides support to anarchists around the world who are persecuted or find themselves in a difficult life situation because of their political ideas or activities.

We are very much different from other solidarity structures in the way that we offer direct involvement into distribution of funds instead of usual charity-style solidarity. The Anarchist Defence Fund incorporates the model of solidarity introduced by the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund.

We think it’s important to organise something like the international A-Fund because it’s a very easy and successful way of informing people about repressions and involving them into direct financial support and solidarity. There are not enough ABC (Anarchist Black Cross) groups in the world where people can ask for support, and most local groups have a lot of pressure, if the context is highly repressive or if the movement is really small and lack funds to support local anarchists. With the Fund, they have easy access to international finance from anywhere.

We are a collective structure because anyone who makes an annual donation of $20U.S./€20/£15 can join the decision-making body that determines if a certain request is supported by the Fund. Decisions are taken online by consensus, or by a simple majority vote if consensus is not possible.

Join us in the struggle for a better world and supporting comrades who strive for the same goals! You can donate to the Fund and become part of the decision-making crew, or even join the collective which is keeping the whole structure going. Donations will help us a lot especially now that we are just starting. We are welcoming any attempts to collect money for the fund in places you live by organising benefits or other means necessary.

We are also already open for requests for support, though you should not expect the support to be substantial until we are able to build a strong base of donors.

Fundraising for lawyers working on cases about police raids and arrests of anarchists and antifascists in St. Petersburg ans Penza, Russia has begun. At the moment 2 people in St. Petersburg and 5 people in Penza are arrested, more are connected to the case as witnesses. Continuation of raids and repressions is highly possible. They are charged with 2 of Art. 205.4 of russian Criminal Code (participation in terrorist community) at the request of court from Penza.

On January 23 on the way to Pulkovo Airport the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Victor Filinkov. In order to get the testimony he was beaten up and tortured with electric shocks in the wood. Signs of torture were confirmed by the Filinkov’s lawyer and members of the Public Monitoring Commission (ONK) who have visited him in the pre-trial detention center. Filinkov is arrested for two months.

On January 25 the FSB came unexpectedly with a raid to Igor Shishkin’s apartment. After the raid neither his lawyer, nor members of Public Monitoring Commission were unable to find Igor for more than a day. On January 27 Igor with signs of a beating was brought to a court session where he was arrested in Pre-trial Detention Center for two months. Journalists were not allowed to attend the hearing and evenmore two of them were arrested.

Tortures were also applied to witnesses. Ilya Kapustin was beaten up and tortured with electric shock while police demanded him to give testimony that some of his acquantances are up to “something dangerous”. Numerous traces of the stun gun usage were recorded later by health service.

Legal help is necessary for prisoners (whose number can increase) and witnesses. So far it is early to speak about the certain amount of money, but it will be at least 200 thousand rubles for work of lawyers in the next months.